Film web deflecting device and device for manufacturing packaging units comprising a film web deflecting device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a film web deflecting device ( 26 ) for a device for manufacturing packaging units, having a vertical enveloping axis ( 27 ). The device has an inlet opening ( 28 ), which is delimited by two molding shoulders, and a film edge guide slot on the lower end of the device laterally offset with respect to the enveloping axis. Opposing shoulder edges of the molding shoulders define a passage gap for the passage of portion stops after a portion unit has been transferred to a vertical conveyor ( 22 ), which receives the portion unit together with the film web on the periphery of the portion unit. Each of the shoulder edges has a guide ridge, said guide ridges defining a guide plane which is inclined relative to the enveloping axis, thereby forming a guide angle α, and extends from the inlet opening in the direction of the film edge guide slot.

The present invention relates to a film web deflecting device for a device for manufacturing packaging units, which have a portion unit being enveloped into a film web, having a film web conveyor for conveying a film web along a horizontal conveying track portion and along a vertical conveying track portion,

wherein the film web deflecting device, for diverting the film web from the horizontal conveying track portion into the vertical conveying track portion and for realizing a film envelope for a portion unit being supplied to the vertical conveying track portion and being received between portion stops, has an inlet opening, which is delimited by two molding shoulders on an upper end of the film web deflecting device on a vertical enveloping axis , and has a film edge guide slot on its lower end laterally offset with respect to the enveloping axis,

wherein opposing shoulder edges of the molding shoulders define a passage gap for the passage of the portion stops after the portion unit has been transferred to a vertical conveyor, which receives the portion unit together with the film web on the periphery of the portion unit,

wherein each of the shoulder edges has a film web guide ridge, said guide ridges being arranged in a common guide plane which is inclined relative to the enveloping axis, thereby forming a guide angle, and extends from the inlet opening in the direction of the film edge guide slot.

Moreover, the invention relates to a device for manufacturing packaging units, which have a portion unit being enveloped into a film web, having a film web conveyor for conveying a film web along a horizontal conveying track portion and along a vertical conveying track portion, a portion conveyor for conveying the portion units, a film web deflecting device for deflecting the film web from the horizontal conveying track portion into the vertical conveying track portion and for realizing a film envelope for the portion units being supplied to the vertical conveying track portion and being received between portion stops, and having a vertical conveyor, which receives the portion units together with the film web on the periphery.

Film web deflection devices of the type mentioned at the beginning serve to divert a film web from a horizontal conveying track portion in such a manner into a vertical conveying track portion that portion units are supplied to the vertical conveying track portion and that said portion units are enveloped by the film web in the longitudinal sense of the vertical conveying track portion, for realizing packaging units. Here, the portion units, while being supplied vertically, are received between portion stops, which enter an inlet opening of the film web deflecting device together with the portion unit and are removed from the portion unit while the envelope of the portion unit is being realized, before the envelope is hermetically sealed in the longitudinal sense of the further vertical conveying track portion. Here, it turns out to be difficult, on the one hand, to guarantee that there are no collisions between the film web realizing the envelope and the portion stops and, on the other hand, despite the deflection of the film web, to allow for realizing an envelope that is free from creases and plastically undeformed and thus for generating a packaging unit that is not only satisfactory regarding its function, but also from the point of view of esthetics.

The present invention is consequently based on the task of proposing a film web deflecting device, which allows for safely manufacturing esthetically sophisticated packaging units from a portion unit being received in a film web envelope in a vertical conveying track portion of a device for manufacturing packaging units.

This task is solved by a film web deflecting device having the features of claim 1 and by a device for manufacturing packaging units, comprising such a film web deflecting device, having the features of claim 8.

The film web deflecting device in accordance with the invention, due to the special design having molding shoulders, whose shoulder edges have film web guide ridges, which are arranged in a common guide plane which is inclined relative to the enveloping axis, thereby forming a guide angle α, and extends from the inlet opening in the direction of the film edge guide slot, allows for a defined abutment of the film web at the guide ridges and consequently for a defined design of the envelope opening, such that, on the one hand, a passage gap guaranteeing that there are no collisions with the portion stops and, on the other hand, a defined film web guiding is given in the region of the envelope opening, such that it can be prevented that creases or local plastic deformations of the film web be developed owing to insufficient guiding of the film web or of the film web edges in the region of the envelope opening.

Particularly good guide characteristics are attained if guide ridge portions of the guide ridges are inclined with respect to one another, thereby forming an angle β, in such a manner that the guide ridges converge in the shape of a V in the direction of the film edge guide slot.

If the guide ridges of the molding shoulders extend from the inlet opening towards the film edge guide slot, a guiding can be attained that extends substantially over the entire length of the film edges being guided toward one another in the region of the molding shoulders, wherein, depending on the size or length of the portion unit as seen in the direction of the enveloping axis, it is particularly advantageous if the guide ridges extend only partially up to the film edge guide slot or if the guide ridges are designed such that they extend completely up to the film edge guide slot, which means that they are designed such that there is substantially no distance between the ends of the guide ridges and the film edge guide slot.

If the guide ridges are formed by surface edges of guide flanks of the molding shoulders, realizing abutment faces for film edges, the film edges are guided in a particularly defined fashion during enveloping; in particular, an undesired fluttering movement of the film edges at an angle to the conveying direction of the film web in the vertical conveying track portion can effectively be prevented.

It is particularly advantageous if the molding shoulders are connected to each other via a collar piece, in such a manner that the inlet opening is closed towards the horizontal conveying track portion and the collar piece realizes a guide flank for the film web, which flank ascends towards the inlet opening, such that the molding shoulders, without any further additional constructive measures, allow for a defined support of the film web on its entire width while the film web enters the inlet opening.

Alternatively, it is possible that the molding shoulders are realized independently of each other, in such a manner that the inlet opening has a collar gap towards the horizontal conveying track portion and the molding shoulders realize a guide flank for the film web descending towards the inlet opening and being arranged in a common guide plane with a guide face of a guide means that bridges the collar gap. Hereby, it is possible to realize the molding shoulders even with little mass or little body volume, such that a particularly space-saving design of the film web deflecting device becomes possible. In addition, a defined support of the film web in its entire width is already allowed for immediately before the film web enters the inlet opening, due to the guide means that is selected independently of the molding shoulders.

It is particularly advantageous if the film edge guide slot, as viewed in the direction of the enveloping axis, is arranged so as to be diametrically opposed to the collar piece or to the guide means that bridges the collar gap since a film web deflecting device can hereby be designed on the one hand, having a molding shoulder gap that runs in the direction of the enveloping axis and that is dimensioned generously, for realizing the passage, but on the other hand, as viewed in the direction of the enveloping axis, the inlet opening has an opening edge that is realized substantially concentrically to the enveloping axis.

The device in accordance with the invention has the features of claim 8 and comprises the film web deflecting device in accordance with the invention, having the advantageous features explained hereinbefore.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows a device for manufacturing packaging units comprising a film web deflecting device in accordance with a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows the film web deflecting device being illustrated in FIG. 1 on its own and in a front view;

FIG. 3 shows the film web deflecting device being illustrated in FIG. 2 in a side view;

FIG. 4 shows the film web deflecting device being illustrated in FIG. 2 in a view from above;

FIG. 5 shows a film web deflecting device in accordance with a further embodiment in a front view;

FIG. 6 shows the film web deflecting device being illustrated in FIG. 5 in a side view;

FIG. 7 shows the film web deflecting device being illustrated in FIG. 5 in a view from above.

FIG. 1 shows a packaging device 10, which serves to manufacture packaging units not being illustrated in more detail, comprising a portion unit 12 that is enveloped into a film web 11. The packaging device 10 comprises, in the embodiment being illustrated in FIG. 1, a product conveyor 13, by means of which individual products 14 are conveyed to a portion conveyor 15, which, in the present case, has a circulating conveyor 16 having portion stops 18, 19 being moved independently of each other in the conveying direction 17 and being kinematically controlled such that, in a transfer region 20 between the product conveyor 13 and the portion conveyor 15, individual products 14, following one after another, are stacked onto a front portion stop 18. Said front portion stop 18, during stacking, is moved forward in timed intervals in the conveying direction 17 of the circulating conveyor 16 until finally, after a defined stacking height has been attained, the rear portion stop 19 is advanced against the stacked portion unit 12, such that the portion unit 12 is received between the portion stops 18 and 19 in a defined fashion.

For being transferred to a vertical conveyor 22 which is arranged below a transfer region 21, and which, in the present case, consists of three circulating conveyors 23, which are arranged in a fashion being dispersed on the periphery of the portion unit 12, the portion unit 12 is supplied to a film web deflecting device 26, which has an inlet opening 28, which is arranged on a vertical enveloping axis 27, on the upper end of the film web deflecting device, and a film edge guide slot 29 on its lower end laterally offset with respect to the enveloping axis 27.

As FIG. 1 shows, the film web deflecting device 26 in addition serves to divert the film web 11 from a horizontal conveying track portion 30 into a vertical conveying track portion 31, wherein a film envelope 24 of the portion unit 12 is realized with the help of molding shoulders 32, 33 (FIG. 2) of the film web deflecting device 26, which shoulders delimit the inlet opening 28, and by means of the film edge guide slot 29.

Opposing shoulder edges 34, 35 of the molding shoulders 32, 33, as it is in particular also illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, define a passage gap 36, into which the portion unit 12 is introduced in the region of the inlet opening 28 together with the portion stops 18, 19, and from which the portion stops 18, 19, continuing their motion of revolution on the circulating conveyor 16, exit after the portion unit 12 has been transferred to the vertical conveyor 22, which receives the portion unit 12 together with the film web 11 on the periphery.

Before the film web 11 enters the inlet opening 28 of the film web deflecting device 26, the film web 11, in the exemplary embodiment being illustrated in FIG. 1, is deflected via a pair of infeed rollers 37, 38, in such a manner that the film web 11 runs in a guide plane 39 which ascends towards the inlet opening 28, and which is formed by the circumference of the guide roller 38 and of a guide flank 40 ascending towards the inlet opening 28. In the region of the inlet opening 28, the film web 11 and the portion unit 12 meet such that the film web 11 fits tightly to the outer periphery of the portion unit 12 and that, as the film web 11 and the portion unit 12 are being conveyed further through the vertical conveyor 22, the outer surface of the portion unit 12 is increasingly covered by the film web 11.

As FIGS. 2 and 3 show in particular, each of the shoulder edges 34, 35 has a guide ridge 44, 45, said guide ridges defining a film web guide plane 41 together, which is inclined relative to the enveloping axis 27, thereby forming a guide angle α, and extends from the inlet opening 28 in the direction of the film edge guide slot 29. Furthermore, FIG. 2, in particular, shows that guide ridge portions 42, 43 are inclined with respect to one another, thereby forming an angle β, in such a manner that the guide ridges 44, 45 converge in the shape of a V in the direction of the film edge guide slot 29.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment being illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the guide ridges 44, 45 of the molding shoulders 32, 33 even extend from the inlet opening 28 up to the film edge guide slot 29.

As it becomes clear from the illustration in FIG. 1 in particular, in the course of the film envelope 24 being realized, film edges 46, 47 get to fit tightly against guide flanks 48, 49 of the molding shoulders 32, 33, realizing abutment faces for the film edges 46, 47 and being constructed such that they support the guide ridges 44, 45 in making sure that no stress distributions arise in the film web 11 despite the deflection of the film web 11, which distributions could lead to undesired plastic deformations or to the formation of creases in the film web 11.

As FIG. 4 shows in particular, in the film web deflecting device 26, the molding shoulders 32, 33 are connected to each other via a collar piece 50, in such a manner that the inlet opening 28 is closed towards the horizontal conveying track portion 30 and the nape piece 50 realizes the guide flank 40 for the film web 11, which flank has already been mentioned and which ascends towards the inlet opening 28. Furthermore, the film edge guide slot 29 can particularly well be discerned in FIG. 4, the film edges 46, 47 (FIG. 1), lying one above the other in a parallel fashion, being introduced into said slot after leaving the guide flanks 48, 49, such that the film edges 46, 47 can be connected to each other by means of a longitudinal sealing means being arranged below the film web deflecting device 26 and not being illustrated in more detail in FIG. 1.

In the following, a transverse sealing means not being illustrated in more detail in FIG. 1, either, is employed, said means carrying out transverse sealing in a film clearance 51 being realized between two portion units 12, subsequently cutting through the film envelope in the region of the transverse seal for separating the packaging units.

In FIGS. 5 to 7, a film web deflecting device 60 is illustrated, which, in an alternative design to the film web deflecting device 26 being illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, has molding shoulders 61, 62, which are realized independently of each other, in such a manner that an inlet opening 63 has a collar gap 64 towards the horizontal conveying track portion 30 and the molding shoulders 61, 62 realize a guide flank 65 for the film web 11 descending towards the inlet opening 63 and being arranged in a common guide plane 66 with a guide face 68 that is realized by the roller circumference of a guide roller 67. In contrast to film web deflecting device 26, the molding shoulders 61, 62 of film web deflecting device 60 have guide ridges 69, 70, which run substantially parallel to each other and which are formed by surface edges of guide flanks 71, 72, having a substantially smaller extension die in the direction of a film edge guide slot 75 than the molding shoulders 32, 33 of the film web deflecting device 26. This is because a distance a is realized between guide ridge portions 73, 74, which are realized at the lower end of the molding shoulders 61, 62, said end being oriented towards the film edge guide slot 75, and the film edge guide slot 75. Said distance is larger than the length l of the molding shoulders 61, 62.

In conformity with film web deflecting device 26, the guide ridges 69, 70 of film web deflecting device 60 define a film web guide plane 76, which is inclined relative to the enveloping axis 27, thereby forming a guide angle α, and extends from the inlet opening 63 in the direction of the film edge guide slot 75. Also in conformity with film web deflecting device 26, the guide ridge portions 73, 74 run with respect to one another forming an angle β, in such a manner that the guide ridges converge in the shape of a V in the direction of the film edge guide slot 75.

In contrast to film web deflecting device 26, film web deflecting device 60 is configured in several parts, in such a manner that the molding shoulders 61, 62 are not immediately connected to the film edge guide slot 75 in a mechanical fashion. As film edge guide slot 29, film edge guide slot 75 is, however, also provided with a fastening plate 77 for fastening to the framework of a device for manufacturing packaging units. 

1. A film web deflecting device for a device for manufacturing packaging units, which have a portion unit being enveloped into a film web, having a film web conveyor for conveying a film web along a horizontal conveying track portion and along a vertical conveying track portion, wherein the film web deflecting device, for diverting the film web from the horizontal conveying track portion into the vertical conveying track portion and for forming a film envelope for a portion unit being supplied to the vertical conveying track portion and being received between portion stops, comprising: two molding shoulders; an inlet opening proximal upper ends of the molding shoulders on a vertical enveloping axis, said inlet opening being delimited by the two molding shoulders; a film edge guide slot proximal lower ends of the molding shoulders and laterally offset with respect to the enveloping axis; opposing shoulder edges of the molding shoulders defining a passage gap for the passage of the portion stops after the portion unit has been transferred to a vertical conveyor, which receives the portion unit together with the film web on a periphery of the portion unit; and a guide ridge on each shoulder edge of each molding shoulder, said guide ridges defining a guide plane inclined relative to the enveloping axis, thereby forming a guide angle α, and extending from the inlet opening in the direction of the film edge guide slot.
 2. The film web deflecting device according to claim 1, in which guide ridge portions of the guide ridges are inclined with respect to one another, thereby forming an angle β, in such a manner that the guide ridges converge in the shape of a V in the direction of the film edge guide slot.
 3. The film web deflecting device according to claim 1, in which the guide ridges of the molding shoulders extend from the inlet opening towards the film edge guide slot.
 4. The film web deflecting device according to claims 1, in which the guide ridges are formed by surface edges of guide flanks of the molding shoulders and form abutment faces for film edges of the film web.
 5. The film web deflecting device according to claims 1, in which the molding shoulders are connected to each other via a collar piece, in such a manner that the inlet opening is closed towards the horizontal conveying track portion and the collar piece forms a guide flank for the film web, which flank ascends towards the inlet opening.
 6. The film web deflecting device according to claim 1, in which the molding shoulders are formed independently of each other, in such a manner that the inlet opening has a collar gap towards the horizontal conveying track portion and the molding shoulders form a guide flank for the film web descending towards the inlet opening and being arranged in a common guide plane with a guide face of a guide means that bridges the collar gap.
 7. The film web deflecting device according to claim 1, in which the film edge guide slot, as viewed in the direction of the enveloping axis, is arranged so as to be diametrically opposed to the collar piece or to the guide means that bridges the collar gap.
 8. A device for manufacturing packaging units, which have a portion unit being enveloped into a film web, having a film web conveyor according to claim 1 for conveying a film web along a horizontal conveying track portion and along a vertical conveying track portion, a portion conveyor for conveying the portion units, a film web deflecting device for deflecting the film web from the horizontal conveying track portion into the vertical conveying track portion and for forming a film envelope for the portion units being supplied to the vertical conveying track portion and being received between portion stops, and having a vertical conveyor, which receives the portion units together with the film web on the periphery. 